[littlestymaar]

> since the new minimum wage law went into effect, I've noticed reduced hours, reduced staff, and increased prices.

The problem with that line of reasoning is that in the meantime:

- unemployment has declined, which means it's harder to find people wanting to work in such a place.

- inflation has kicked in, raising prices over the board.

In that context, attributing the changes you've seen to a particular policy is very very hard (and the linked paper doesn't do a better job than what you do here…).

[anonymousiam]

Most of those in favor of the government interference cite the points that you made. They don't really ring true though. Inflation has slowed, but the changes in the restaurants were sudden, and coincided with the new wage law.

[littlestymaar]

> Most of those in favor of the government interference

The government doesn't interfere, it intervenes.

> but the changes in the restaurants were sudden, and coincided with the new wage law.

Says who? Even the paper doesn't claim such a sudden behavior. Also, the paper makes no attempt at estimating the effect of these confounders.